Outlet connection for water closet



Oct. 22, 1968 R. F. BURNS OUTLET CONNECTION FOR WATER CLOSET Filed Feb.25. 1966 po ims TORN E Y5 United States Patent 6 M 3,406,409 OUTLETCONNECTION FOR WATER CLOSET Robert F. Burns, Indianapolis, Ind.,assignor to Hoffman Specialty Mfg. Corp., Indianapolis, Ind., acorporation of Indiana Filed Feb. 25, 1966, Ser. No. 530,156 4 Claims.(Cl. 4-252) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A connection between the annularhorn of a watercloset bowl and a sleeve-like element communicating witha drain line and having a counterbore receiving the horn comprises agasket of relatively soft rubber-like material having an annular bodydisposed between the end of the horn and the base of said counterbore,and an integral annular flange projecting axially from said body intothe space between the horn and the circumferential wall of thecounterbore. Means are provided for axially compressing the gasket-bodyto such an extent that some of the material thereof will be displacedinto the flange to thicken it radially and thereby effect a seal betweenthe horn and the counterbore wall.

This invention relates to means for connecting a watercloset bowl to adrain line. The invention is primarily, although not necessarily,concerned with a connecting means adapted for use with wall-hung closetbowls.

The outlet opening in a conventional closet bowl intended for mountingon a wall is located in the vertical rear face of the bowl and issurrounded by an annular groove providing between the groove and theoutlet an annular flange or horn adapted to be received in thecounterbored outer end of a rigid, fixedly mounted sleevelike connectorwhich communicates with the drain line. Horn dimensions vary somewhatfrom manufacturer to manufacturer and, in any event, since the bowls aremade of porcelain, it is impossible to hold horn dimensions to closetolerances. Accordingly, the outlet-surrounding groove in the bowl mustreceive the rim of the connector with considerable clearance on allsides, and the effecting of a water-tight seal between the horn and theconnector therefore presents a problem for the installer. The morecommon sealing means used have included a compressible gasket of O-ringtype positioned between the outer end of the horn and the base of thecounterbore in the connector and a thick, soft gasket of impregnatedfelt, asbestos, or like material positioned in the horn-surroundinggroove of the bowl. Another way used to create a seal is to fill orpartially fill the annular horn-surrounding groove with a mastic-likematerial such as plumbers putty or wax into which the rim of theconnector is pressed when the bowl is mounted. None of these expedientshas proven completely satisfactory.

A connecting means in accordance with my invention includes a soft,resiliently compressible gasket having an annular body portion forreception between the end of the horn and the bottom of the counterborein the connector provided with an integral peripheral flange extendingaxially from the body into the clearance between the horn and the wallof the counterbore. The dimensions of such gasket and the nature of thematerial forming it are important. The body should have an axialthickness in the neighborhood of /2 inch or somewhat more and should beelastically compressible to about one-half that thickness under anaxially applied effort. In the unstressed condition of the gasket, itsbody portion and integral flange should have an outer diameter enablingthe gasket to be rather snugly received within the counterbore of theconnector, the interior diameter of the gasket-body should be somewhatgreater than the interior diameter of the 3,406,409 Patented Oct. 22,1968 ice horn on the closet bowl so that compression of the gasketbodywhen the bowl is installed will not result in any substantial reductionin the size of the opening into the connector, and the inner diameter ofthe flange should be such as will permit it to receive, without unduestretching, the horn of largest diameter apt to be encountered inpractice. When such a gasket is positioned between the horn and theconnector and the bowl, in the process of its mounting, is forced towardthe connector to effect a substantial compression of the gasket-body,the material of the gasket will flow to provide an effective seal, notonly between the end of the horn and the base of the counterbore in theconnector but also between the opposed cylindrical surfaces of the hornand counterbore-wall.

Other features of the invention will become apparent from the followingmore detailed description and from the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view illustrating a wall-hung closet bowl;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal section on an enlarged scale taken on the line2-2 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an elevation, in partial section, of the gasket on a stilllarger scale.

The arrangement shown by way of example in FIG. 1, includes an outletfitting 10 adapted, as at 11, for connection to a generally horizontaldrain line. Mounted for vertical adjustment on the face of the outletfitting 10 is a face plate 11 carrying studs 12, through which thecloset bowl 13 is mounted, and also carrying an adjustable foot 14providing floor support within the limits of a wall facing 15. A flange16 on the bowl 13 is clamped between nuts 17 on the studs 12 to supportthe bowl with its rear face spaced a slight distance from thewall-facing 15. A coupling 18 received in an opening through the faceplate 11 in turn receives an axially adjustable connector 19. Referringto FIG. 2, it will be seen that the outlet opening 21 in the verticalrear face of the closet bowl is surrounded by an annular groove 22 toleave an annular horn 23 which extends, with considerable radialclearance, partially into a counterbore in the outer end of theconnector 19.

As so far described, the structure illustrated in the drawing is more orless conventional. As is readily apparent, the effecting of awater-tight connection between the bowl and the connector 19 requiresthe provision of some form of sealing means. Such a sealing means, to beeffective, must accommodate for lack of exact concentricity of the hornand the connector, for irregularities in the dimensions and surfaces ofthe horn, and for some variation in the relative axial positions of thehorn and the connector. In addition, the sealing means should beelastically yieldable to the extent required to maintain an effectiveseal even in the event of some movement between the connector and thecloset bowl after the installation has been completed.

A sealing means meeting these requirements is indicated at 24 in FIG. 2and shown on an enlarged scale in FIG. 3. Such means is in the form ofan annnular gasket having a body portion 25 and a peripheral, axiallyextending flange 26 integral with the body portion. The outer surface ofthe body portion and the flange 26 are flush with each other andpreferably have a diameter such as will permit the gasket to be snugly,although not tightly, received in the counterbored end of the connector19. The inner diameter of the body portion 25 is somewhat greater thanthe inner diameter of the horn 23, while the inner diameter of theflange is such that, without undue stretching, it will receive thelargest horn liable to be encountered by the installer. The axialdimension of the body portion 25 should be substantial, preferably onthe order of /2 inch or somewhat more, and the axial dimension of theflange 26 is preferably less than that of the horn 23. The edges of thegasket are desirably rounded, as indicated in FIG. 3, the outer rearedge of the body portion 25 preferably being rounded on a radius greaterthan that existing at the base of the counterbore.

As a material for the gasket 25, I employ an elastic material in thenature of soft rubber. A preferred material is neoprene giving adurometer reading of about 50. With the gasket made of such a material,the body portion 25 can be compressed to half its thickness withoutopposing undue resistance to tightening of the front set of nuts 17against the front face of the bowl-flange 16. In fact, when the bowlreaches the ultimate position determined by the rear set of nuts, theincrease in the resistance to farther tightening of the front nuts willbe immediately apparent to the installer.

Horns 23 on closet bowls as commonly made have a nominal externaldiameter of about 3% inches and an internal diameter of about 2% inches;but as indicated above some variations from those nominal dimensions canbe expected. I therefore prefer that the gasket body 25 have an internaldiameter of about 2 /8 inches and that the gasket flange have athickness of about inch and an internal diameter of about 3 ,4 inches.The outer diameter of the gasket may be about 4 inches and the same asthe diameter of the counterbore in the outer end of the connector 19.The gasket may have an overall axial extent of 1 inch, while the axialdimension of the body portion 25 may be W inch.

In installing a closet bowl, the rear set of nuts 17 on the studs 12 areadjusted, as is common practice, to locate the rear face of the bowlspaced at short distance from the wall-facing 15. If the gasket 24 hasthe dimensions above indicated, the connector 19 is adjusted axially inthe coupling 18 to a position such that the base of the counterbore inthe connector will be spaced about inch rearwardly from the rear end ofthe horn 23 when the bowl-flange 16 is clamped against the rear set ofnuts 17. The gasket 24 may be positioned on the horn 23 or, moredesirably, in the connector-counterbore, and the bowl is then mounted onthe studs 12. Tightening of the outer set of nuts 17 forces the bowlrearwardly, first compressing the body portion of the gasket and thenclamping the flange 16 securely against the nuts 17. With the gasketformed of the material and with the dimensions above indicated, theaxial compression of the body portion of the gasket will cause itsmaterial to flow and assume the general form indicated in dotted linesin FIG. 3, some of the material displaced from between the end of thehorn and the base of the counterbore in the connector flowing radiallyinwardly and the remainder flowing into the flange 26 to thicken it ineffect and provide a seal between the horn and the annularcounterbore-wall.

I claim: 1. In combination with a water-closet bowl having an outletopening within an annular horn, a sleeve-like connector communicating atone end with a drain line and provided at its other end with acounter-bore having an annular wall and a base extending inwardlytherefrom, said counterbore receiving said horn with considerableclearance both axially between the end of the horn and the base of thecounterbore and radially between the wall of the counterbore and thecircumferential surface of the horn, a gasket having an annular bodydisposed between the end of the horn and the base of said counterboreand an integral annular flange of substantially uniform radial thicknessprojecting axially from said body into the space between the side of thehorn and the peripheral wall of the counterbore, and bowl-mounting meansacting to compress said gasket-body axially and including means forlimiting the extent of such compression, said gasket being formed ofelastically yieldable material and having its body compressed axially toabout one-half the thickness it possessed prior to being compressed tocause displacement of some gasket material from the base into theannular flange to tend to thicken the flange and provide sealingengagement thereof with both the wall of the counterbore and thecircumferential surface of the horn.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 with the addition that saidgasket is of rubber-like material giving a durometer reading of about50.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1 with the addition that saidgasket is of neoprene material giving a durometer reading of about 50.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1 characterized in that said bowlis wall-hung and has at its rear a vertically extending mounting flange,said horn projecting rearwardly, said mounting means includinghorizontal studs extending through openings in said bowl-flange andprovided with nuts both in rear and in front of said flange, the nuts inrear of the flange constituting the means for limiting compression ofthe gasket-body.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,709,132 4/1929 Hinsdale 4-2522,280,183 4/ 1942 Bennett 285-291 2,424,225 7/ 1947 Dick.

2,882,073 4/1959 James 285-291 2,982,569 5/1961 Miller et a1. 285-2913,015,510 1/1962 Bates.

3,195,150 7/1965 Schmid 4-252 LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

H. ARTIS, Assislant Examiner.

